Property Tax in Nueces County, Texas
The median real estate tax bill in Nueces County, Texas is $3,268 per year, and the median home is worth $194,700. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Nueces County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Nueces County pay more than $3,268, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 1.68% for Nueces County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
Nueces County by the numbers
| Measure | Nueces County | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $3,268 | $4,111 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $194,700 | $260,400 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.68% | 1.58% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $272 | $343 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Nueces County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Texas: #37 of 250 counties
- Median home value rank in Texas: #70 of 250
- Population rank in Texas: #17 of 250 (352,829 residents)
- Population density rank: #17 of 250 (420 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Texas: #187 of 250 (839 sq mi, 0.3% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $272; per $1,000 of home value: $1.68
How Nueces County compares
Set against its state, Nueces County's median bill of $3,268 is about 21% lower than the Texas median ($4,111). Against the country as a whole it is about 10% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #37 of 250 Texas counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Nueces County's median home, at $194,700, ranks #70 by value in Texas, while its derived rate of 1.68% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Nueces County: the median bill works out to about $272 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,678 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 352,829 people — the #17 most populous county in Texas, spread over 839 square miles, a density of about 420 people per square mile. Its median home value, $194,700, ranks #70 among the state's 250 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 376 record a higher median tax bill than Nueces County — it sits in the top 12% nationally. The county holds roughly 1.2% of Texas's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $194,700 versus $260,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.68% adds up to about 16.78% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Crockett County, medians $466 — $2,802 less than Nueces County per year.
Counties nearest Nueces County in the Texas ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise County, TX | $3,293 | $277,200 | 1.19% |
| Chambers County, TX | $3,290 | $289,900 | 1.14% |
| Johnson County, TX | $3,259 | $254,600 | 1.28% |
| Hood County, TX | $3,240 | $281,300 | 1.15% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Nueces County's derived rate of 1.68%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $6,712 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Nueces County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Nueces County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Nueces County, Texas?
The median real estate tax paid in Nueces County, Texas is $3,268 per year, on a median home value of $194,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Nueces County, Texas?
On a derived basis, 1.68%: the county's median tax bill of $3,268 divided by its median home value of $194,700. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Nueces County compare with the rest of Texas?
By median taxes paid, Nueces County stands at #37 among the 250 Texas counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $3,268 median bill is about 21% lower than the state median ($4,111), and 36 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Nueces County, Texas?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Nueces County is $3,268 of tax on a $194,700 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Nueces County, Texas?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Nueces County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.